


Frying Pans, Who Knew?

by Madkat89



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Battle of Five Armies - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Coma, Dis is gonna kill Kili, Dwarf Courting, Dwarven Ones | Soulmates, Dwobbits, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Family of Choice, Female Bilbo Baggins, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Frying pans as weapons, Hobbits in Erebor, Humor, Kilibo, Never mess with hobbits, Overprotective Dwarves, Post-Battle of Five Armies, Pregnant Hobbits, Stubborn Dwarves, Temporary Amnesia, kilbo - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:33:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26675218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madkat89/pseuds/Madkat89
Summary: The company survives the Battle of the Five Armies, although Kili is injured seriously enough that he falls into a coma. Secrets are revealed and lives are changed as Bella settles into life in Erebor waiting for the other half of her heart to wake up. And as proven in the quest to reclaim Erebor, one should never underestimate a hobbit, especially when they're armed with their wits and some rather unusual weapons.*Originally posted in Female Bilbo Oneshots, before it became something more
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Kíli
Comments: 22
Kudos: 209





	1. Kili

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm moving this story from Female Bilbo Oneshots over to it's own story, as it has grown into quite the tale all on it's own. Enjoy!
> 
> *Originally posted March 10th, 2020

Bella pushed her way into the tent despite Dwalin's best attempts to keep her out. Not because she had been banished, he'd been there when Thorin had pardoned her, but because there was no hope in that tent. Fili knelt beside the cot, one arm in a sling. The other was clinging desperately to Kili's limp hand and there were tears in his blue eyes. Thorin stood on the other side of the cot, his eyes dark and filled with shadows. She demanded, "Is it true? Is he dying?"

Thorin nodded slowly, unable to actually voice the words.

Bella moved past him, not wanting to hear anything more. She said on the edge of the cot on the opposite side from where Fili was. She watched for a minute as Kili lay there. He was barely breathing, only the slightest rise and fall of his chest. He was heavily wrapped in bandages across his torso. She brushed a lock of hair from his forehead before picking up Kili's other hand. She laid it on her stomach and pressed both of her hands over the top of it. "Don't you dare give up. You need to fight. You need to fight for me. But most of all, you need to fight for our child. Do you hear me, Kili, son of Dis? Fight to see your child. Don't you dare leave me to do this alone. If you do, I will hunt you down in the Halls myself. So fight, fight for all of us."

A single tear rolled down her cheek. She whispered, "Please, don't leave me." Under her hands, she felt the slightest twitch of movement. "That's it, you can do it. We'll be right here waiting for you."

The tent flaps closing drew her attention and she looked over to find that Thorin had gone. She looked over to find Fili staring at her, his face bone white as he clutched Kili's hand in what was surely a crushing grip, not that Kili seemed to notice. Setting Kili's hand back on his chest, she turned to face Fili fully. "Are you ok? Do I need to fetch Oin?"

Fili blurted, "You're pregnant?"

Heat flooded her face as she suddenly realized what she had just said aloud, for anyone to hear. Picking absently at her waistcoat hem, she admitted reluctantly, "Yes, I am."

Thorin walked back into the tent, his color little better than Fili's, Oin trailing behind him. "For how long?"

Folding her arms across her chest, she said incredulously, "What?"

He ground out, "How, long, have, you, been, pregnant?"

Jutting her chin out, she said stubbornly, "I don't see how this is any business of yours."

Oin had lost his hearing trumpet during the battle, but Fili was signing awkwardly for him so he could follow the conversation. Thorin growled, "Just tell me, unless you're lying trying to keep him anchored here."

She was about to blister his ears, respectability be damned, when Fili tugged gently on her arm and said quietly, "Please, Bella."

Deflating, she admitted, "Rivendell."

Thorin swore and stormed out of the tent. Oin stared at her with a concerned expression while Fili sank down onto the floor, completely shocked. Oin said quietly, for him, "We need to check you over. Step behind this curtain over here. What in the world were you thinking, being in the middle of the battle?"

She scowled at him, "I was thinking that all of my family was out there fighting for their lives. Besides, there was nowhere safe, even if I wanted to stay out of it, which I didn't. Don't fuss, I'm perfectly fine."

However, Oin was just as stubborn as she was, "Well, I'll just make sure, won't I? Now step behind the curtain."

Brushing a kiss on Kili's forehead, she did as Oin asked with ill grace. Thankfully the examination didn't take long and soon she was sitting back beside Kili. The rest of the company had gathered in the tent, many of them looking as poleaxed as Fili had, although thankfully the color had come back into his face. Dwalin demanded, "Is it true?"

Oin nodded, "Aye, the lass is about four, almost five, months along."

All of the dwarves went pale and froze. Rolling her eyes, she demanded, "What is wrong with all of you? So I'm pregnant, it's not the end of the world." She blushed fiercely but plowed on, "I know that we're not married, but I'm not going to say that I regret what happened. Especially." She forced back a sob. "Especially should the worst happen."

Dwalin spoke and she appreciated his blunt honesty. "It's not the fact that you're pregnant and not married, dwarves don't care about stuff like that. There's never been a bastard dwarf, all pebbles are loved and cherished, no matter what. It's the fact that we dragged a pregnant lass on a long dangerous journey and made her face a dragon alone. All of us should lose our beards and then some."

She commanded, "Don't you dare touch a single hair of any of your beards. This is why I didn't tell you. I knew that you would force me to turn back. I had to finish this quest. I had to do it for our child, so that they would have a home. If you need to blame someone, blame me. I never even told Kili." She sagged back on the bed, suddenly exhausted.

Thorin rumbled, "We'll let it go for now, but don't think that we won't be having a long discussion about this. Now that we know, we can take the appropriate steps. A cot is being fetched for you and some food. You will eat and then get some rest. That goes for the rest of you as well. We can figure out the rest in the morning. Oin and I will watch over Kili and let you know if anything changes."

The dwarves muttered quietly amongst themselves but dispersed. Bella quickly excused herself from the tent saying that she needed to use the latrine, but as soon as she was out of the tent, she headed for the elven encampment.

She had barely made it any distance at all when Nori slipped out of the shadows and joined her. "And where might you be going?"

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Would you believe that I got turned around and lost my way?"

He shook his head. "Nope, you've made a beeline for your goal, no turns or deviations. You know that Thorin is going to have kittens that you took off, especially now that he knows of your condition."

She rolled her eyes, "You think that I was dying the way that you lot are carrying on. Women have been having babies since the beginning of time and I'm sure that dwarven women have had to travel through adverse conditions when they were pregnant as well."

Nori said quietly, his voice uncharacteristically serious, "Lass, I don't think you realize."

He hesitated and she said quietly, "Realize what?"

"The dwarven race is dying, lass. Fewer and fewer dwarves are being born and if we're extremely lucky, one in every three or four will be a dam. Since most families are never blessed with more than one or two pebbles, you can see the problem. Our dams are so few and we treasure them. To put a pregnant dam in danger is one of our deepest taboos. You've come to be family to all of us and that you didn't tell us, you knew it wasn't right. Otherwise, you wouldn't 'ave hid it."

She asked quietly, "Tell me this, if I had told you, what would you have done? Sent me back or abandoned the quest all together? Sent one of you to face Smaug? Wrapped me in cotton and coddled me at the expense of everyone else? Besides, hobbits don't have relations outside of marriage." She flushed but admitted quietly, glad to finally have someone to talk to, to confide in. "Please don't tell this to anyone else, I don't even know why I'm telling you this, but I've been holding this in too long anyway. Because of this little treasure, I'm an outcast in the Shire, I can never go back there, especially without a husband. It was only the once, but I don't regret a thing." She laid her hand firmly over her stomach protectively, a fierce expression on her face.

Nori stared at her incredulously, "Really? Only the once?" She shot him a look and he glanced away sheepishly, "Oh, right, wrong thing to focus on. Even should you choose not to marry Kili, your babe will bear no stain amongst dwarves. In case you didn't realize, all of us Ri's are half-brothers. Same ma, different dads. There's no shame about it. The stigma that we have is me being a thief, but I've a feeling that that will change now that we've reclaimed Erebor, me being part of the company and all. Still, I digress. What else is weighing on ye?"

She glanced around and lowered her voice, but didn't slow her pace. "I know that Thorin has pardoned me. But I gave my share of the treasure to help rebuild Dale. I can't bring anything from the Shire, not after going adventuring and having a babe out of wedlock, no matter how the dwarves may view it."

Nori looked baffled, an odd look for the thief. "And?"

"Should Kili not recover, or should he and change his mind about us, how am I supposed to care for my babe? The only useful skill I have is gardening and I don't suppose that that is a skill much called for here. And will I even be permitted to stay in Erebor, where I'm not a dwarf?"

Nori said, "I've heard that pregnancy can make women crazy."

She propped her hands on her hips and scowled at him, "I am not crazy."

He nodded firmly. "You are if you think that any of the company would ever let you go without, not to mention your pebble. And I have a feeling that gardening will be a very highly sought-after skill very soon. And Erebor is every bit your home as much as it is ours. You took it from a dragon, no dwarf has the right to raise a single word against you. If they do, they can go find a nice dragon to evict and see how easy it is. Now here is the tent you're looking for."

They had indeed arrived at the elven king's tent. Drawing herself up, she told the guard regally, "I need to speak with your king at once. Tell him that it is Bella Baggins."

The elf nodded and disappeared into the tent. He was back with alacrity. "His majesty bids you to enter."

With a satisfied nod, she entered the tent with Nori hot on her heels. Upon entering, they found Thranduil, Gandalf, and Legolas gathered around a table. Gandalf said in a relieved voice, "Bella Baggins, you are a sight for sore eyes."

She smiled wearily at him. "Gandalf, it's good to see you." Turning to the other two, she curtsied, "Prince Legolas, your majesty."

Legolas examined her curiously, "I don't believe that we have met."

Bella looked away, not wanting to admit that she had crept around the forest realm like an invisible thief for weeks.

Thranduil spoke, "The burglar who traded an Arkenstone for the dwarves welfare."

She nodded, "Yes, I did what I had to."

He seemed wearied from the battle, too weary to play games. "What brings you to my tent, small one?"

Taking a deep breath, she said, "During the battle, Prince Kili was gravely injured. Even now he lies close to death. I came to beg you to try to heal him."

Before she even finished speaking, he was shaking his head. "Thorin Oakenshield would not welcome my aid, especially after our recent interactions."

She pleaded, "Please, as a gesture of healing and good will between your two people, to start mending what has long been broken."

He remained unmoved. She looked at Gandalf for support but he was studying his pipe. She then looked at Legolas, but his gaze with filled with sympathy and sorrow. An idea occurred to her and she acted on it before she lost the nerve. "Then I ask you to save him, not as a king, but as a parent."

The three males looked at her, confused. Thranduil said, "I do not understand what you mean."

Feeling tears fill her eyes, she forced her voice to be even, "I am currently carrying his child. Please, don't make my child grow up without a parent, without a father that will love and protect him. I am begging you."

Silently he rose and came over and knelt in front of her. His eyes met hers for permission and she nodded. He held his hand over her stomach, the hand glowing with a pale light that reminded her of starlight. Rising, he sighed but offered her a small smile. "Your child is strong, much like their mother. I will do as you ask. No child should grow up without a parent." His eyes drifted over to Legolas. She knew that he had lost his mother quite young and shame burned through her at having used the knowledge the way she had.

"Legolas, bring my satchel, I will attend him at once."

Wiping away the tear that had escaped, she murmured, "Thank you."

He nodded regally and swept from the tent, Legolas following in his wake. Nori slipped out right behind them, undoubtedly to run ahead and warn Thorin that they were coming. As they left, her legs turned to jelly and she would've fallen if Gandalf hadn't caught her. "Steady there, I have you. Take a deep breath, it's no good if you faint now after you were so brave."

She leaned into him and admitted, "I'm so tired, Gandalf. I just want to wake up and find that all of this has been a bad dream."

He handed her a handkerchief, "There, there, little one. Everything's going to turn out all right, you just need to have a little faith. However, this bit of news surprised me quite a bit. How could I not have noticed? How long?"

She muttered irritably, "Why does everyone keep asking me that? Rivendell, if you must know."

He chuckled, "Hobbits truly are remarkable creatures. Your courage humbles me, Bella. And as I'm sure that the dwarves have recently learned of your condition, I'd better get you back before they start hunting for you in earnest."

Taking his arm, she leaned heavily on him and yawned, "I am so tired all the time lately."

Gandalf offered her a smile as they started strolling back towards where the dwarves were camped, "Well, things have been stressful lately. Not to mention that you are currently growing a little person inside of you. That is hard work indeed."

They had made it barely halfway back when they ran into Dwalin. He growled, "There you are. Where did you disappear to?"

She shrugged and patted his arm, "I just needed some fresh air, I'm sorry for worrying you."

He studied her closely, "What's wrong with ye? Oin said the ye weren't hurt aside from some bruises."

She smiled at him. "Just tired. I don't think that I've slept well for weeks."

Gandalf added, "Plus, Master Dwalin, growing a child is tiring work."

Dwalin grumbled but swept her up easily. When she protested, he countered, "You don't weigh hardly anything, naught more than skin and bones ye are. We'll have to fix that, especially now that we know that yer eating fer two."

Too tired to argue, she snuggled into Dwalin's chest and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

It was morning when she woke, a sliver of sunlight in her eyes causing her to stir from her slumber. In need of the bathroom, she groaned and sat up, trying to remember how she had gotten here. Looking around, she saw that she was in a corner of the tent that had been curtained off for privacy. Rising unsteadily, she saw to her needs before she made her way out into the main portion of the tent.

It was empty except for Bofur sitting next to a still unconscious Kili. She softly padded over next to him and looked down. Kili's color was better and his chest fell and rose in strong, steady breaths. Bofur greeted her quietly but with his usual cheer. "Yer finally awake, lass. Thought that you were going to sleep the day away."

She stretched, feeling her back pop. "I was tired. How is he?"

Bofur kept whittling, "Somewhat better. The elf king came and did all that he could then told us that he would wake up when he was ready, that he had done all he could and that Kili should be out of danger. I'da paid a pretty penny to hear what you said to him to convince him to heal Kili."

She smiled at him. "I asked him to do it for our child, because no child should grow up without their parents."

Bofur grinned at her, "It's still so hard to believe that you're going to have a wee one. That tha' one is going to be an adad. I shudder to think what sort of mischief that he's gonna get up to now."

She giggled, "That's why children have both a ma and a da. To help balance them out. What are you carving?"

He held it up for her to see a rough rattle, although she knew that it would be a work of art once he was done. Her eyes watered and she used a hand to cover her trembling lips. She whispered, "Oh, you lot are going to make me a proper watering pot, you are. I have to stop crying."

Bofur smiled up at her, "He'll wake up any time now and everything will be fine, you'll see."

She whispered, "Yes, any time now."

* * *

Three and a half months later, she was still telling herself that. They had moved into Erebor just before the snows came, but still Kili slept. She was glad that she had told the dwarves because her stomach had increased at a rapid pace. Now at eight and half months pregnant, she couldn't see her feet, had to waddle everywhere, and it felt like she had to pee every two seconds. It also didn't help that she felt unattractive and as big as a house, no matter what the company said to the contrary.

Most of all, she missed Kili. He would've been delighted that they were going to have a pebble. He wouldn't have been able to keep his hands off her stomach, wanting to feel the baby kick, he would've sung to him and babbled nonsense. He would've held her close when she was scared and soothed her fears, reassured her that everything was going to be all right. He would've shared his dreams of the future, their future with her, about the dwobbits playing in their garden, the chorus of children's laughter and the pitter patter of tiny feet.

But still he slept, so she had to soldier on alone. At least she had the company supporting her. They made sure that she took care of herself, slept and ate, got plenty of fresh air. She was on her daily walk with Dwalin, although it was more like a waddle for her, on the battlements, enjoying the crisp winter air when it happened. Fili came running out onto the battlements, obviously searching for them. She clung hard to Dwalin's forearm, fear sweeping through her.

Seeing them, he slowed to a walk and made his way over to them. She had become close to Fili over the past few months and had gotten much better about reading him. Right now, his expression was a mixture of fear and hope. When he was standing in front of them, she croaked, "What happened?"

He offered her a small smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "He's awake. Kili finally woke up."

She searched his face anxiously. "What are you not telling me?"

Fili fidgeted before admitting quietly when Dwalin growled at him to get on with it. "He seems to remember everyone but you, Bella."

She swayed alarmingly on her feet, her vision darkening. She could hear Fili and Dwalin's alarmed voices asking if she was ok and forced herself to reply, her voice sounding strange and far away to her ears. "I'll be all right, just give me a minute. This is a bit of a shock."

She forced herself to take deep breaths and gradually the darkness eased. She looked up to see Fili and Dwalin staring at her with identical expressions of concern. She offered them a weak smile. "I'm alright, really. Just got a little lightheaded for a minute. I've been waiting for this for so long."

Fili tried to warn her gently, "Bella, he's acting differently, not like our Kili. It might just be a side effect from being asleep so long or it could be something else. We don't know and I don't want to see you get hurt, namith."

She softened at the genuine care and love in his voice. She said practically, "It's better to know than to worry myself sick over what ifs. And even if things aren't right between us anymore, I still have all of you as my family, right?"

Fili grinned at her, "Without a doubt."

"Then I can face this. Let's go."

She carefully made her way off the battlements and through Erebor to where Kili's chambers were. Drawing her cloak close about her in an effort to drive away the chill she felt that had nothing to do with the weather, she made her way into the room. Her heart nearly wept at the sight that met her eyes. Kili was sitting up in bed, laughing and joking with Bofur. There was color in his face and his eyes sparkled. He looked up when they entered and cried, "Brother, there you are. I wondered where you'd run off to."

Fili made his way over to the bed, his serious demeanor a contrast to Kili's high spirits. "I had to go let someone know that you'd woken up. She's been waiting a long time for this news."

Kili crinkled his brow in thought, "This Bella person that you keep nattering on about."

Bella chose that moment to step forward. Keeping her tears at bay by sheer willpower alone, she said huskily, "Hello Kili."

He looked her over, but there was no spark of recognition, no warmth. Frowning at Fili in confusion, he said politely, "Hello, Miss Bella. I'm sorry, but I don't seem to recognize you, although my brother tells me that you were on the quest with us and that we were close?"

She forced herself to take a couple of steps closer to the bed, dread weighing on her. "Yes, we are betrothed. You were severely injured in the battle, perhaps that has something to do with why you have no memory of me."

He said noncommittally, "Perhaps.

"He studied her in silence for several minutes before saying casually, "No, I just cannot see it. What could have possibly attracted me to you enough to offer you my braid? I feel no spark, no attraction, not even the draw that says that you could be a friend. Just apathy."

The dwarves in the room drew in shocked breaths and Fili cried, "Kili.

"No matter how much her heart wept blood from the pain and cutting nature of his words, she refused to cry or show the pain. Her voice came out even and calm, surprising her, "I see. And you are not even willing to try to at least get to know each other as friends?"

He said bluntly, "I don't see the point."

Fili cried, "She carries your child! Is that not point enough?"

He studied her dispassionately and asked her quietly, "Is this true?"

She pulled back the cloak enough so that he could see her protruding stomach. He took several deep breaths, clenching and unclenching his fists uncertainly before saying, "It makes no difference. If you want me in the child's life, I shall do my best, but otherwise, no."

She said quietly, "I see." Fili opened his mouth to say something, but she held up her hand. He stopped but glared at his brother. She said to Kili, "I wish you all speed for your recovery and health." Without bothering to wait for a reply, she turned to Fili and said, "I find that I am tired and need to lie down. Can you please take me to my room?" He hesitated, but she said again, "Please."

Scowling, he came over and gently offered her his arm. "Of course, namith. Excuse us." Without looking at anyone in the room, he gently led her back out into the hall.

As they walked towards her chambers, she chuckled and scrubbed at the tears that wouldn't stop falling with her sleeve. She said roughly, "Well, that went well."

Fili pleaded, "Bella, he wasn't himself. You know how much he adores you. It's just going to take a little time is all."

She gave him a watery smile. "I know that and I pray that he remembers. But Fili, I can't wait for that, for him to come around and remember me. This little one could come any day now and my focus has to be on them. I'm sorry, but I just can't be around him like that. Maybe after the baby is born, but I can't, not yet."

He said quietly, "You can take all the time you need. You know that we're all behind you. Whatever you need."

She chuckled, "I know that I'm asking a lot, but I need you to not pummel your brother to bits like you want to. You need to leave him be, see if he recovers on his own or not. However, if he continues this nonsense for a few months, then I may ask you to knock some sense into him then."

He grinned at her. "That would be my pleasure. Hopefully this will pass briefly though and it won't come to that."

They stopped at her chambers and he offered, "Would you like me to come in and read to you while you rest."

She shook her head, "No, I truly am tired. This little one kept me up all night dancing on my bladder. I'm just going to get some sleep. However, if you could bring me a dinner tray, I would greatly appreciate it."

He smiled down at her, "I can do that, namith. Rest now." Bending forward, he brushed a kiss over her forehead before turning and walking away.

Bella walked into her rooms, shut and locked the door, carefully made sure that she was alone, that Nori hadn't snuck in concerned about her welfare. Then she sank to the floor and silently wept as her heart shattered into a million pieces.

* * *

The next week that passed was agony for Bella. She rarely left her rooms, now that Kili was awake and up and about. The dwarves of the company took turns spending time with her and she was torn with conflicting emotions. Half of her was happy for the company and the other half just longed for solitude. Finally, she could take her rooms no more. Taking her cast iron skillet that Ori had accidentally broken, that boy still needed to learn his own strength, she made her way down to the forges and begged Thorin who was working there to mend it for her.

Thorin agreed cheerfully. Since they had retaken Erebor, it seemed like a burden had fallen from his shoulders. He was still as busy as ever, but he smiled more often, as if the fact that he finally had the resources to help his people had finally taken the strain off of him, that made him so serious. So while he mended her skillet, he told her amusing anecdotes of some of the trials that he had had, battles with old councilors set in their ways and a comical mishap involving old pipes and a nest of mice.

It felt nice to just sit there, to forget about her problems for a little while. Now if only her back would stop aching. No matter how she shifted, she just couldn't get comfortable. Thorin quickly had her skillet mended, even better than before. She took the skillet and headed back for her rooms, suddenly ravenous. She carried the skillet despite Ori's objections. He was her companion for the day, but she had just had the skillet fixed and didn't want it to suffer through another unfortunate mishap.

However, today was not her day. They were passing through the Grand Cavern/ Main Hall when she saw it. The delegation from Mirkwood had arrived and Fili and Kili were there to greet them as the official representatives. That wasn't what set her blood boiling though. Kili was flirting charmingly with the red headed elf captain of Thranduil's forces. That bastard had lied to her all those months ago when he told her that he didn't care for elf maids now that he knew that she was his One, that she, Bella, was the only woman that he would ever love.

Moving quicker than thought, she was halfway across the foyer before she even realized that she had moved. Her face flushed with fury and her eyes burning hot with rage, she stormed up to the dark-haired dwarf prince. He seemed shocked when he saw her as did Fili. Kili stuttered, "Miss Baggins, what?"

She roared, "Save it, you lying bastard. I can't believe that I believed you when you said that you would love only me. You goblin swine." Infuriated beyond belief, she hit him upside the head with the skillet, knocking him out cold. Dropping the skillet onto his prone form, she curtsied to the company from Mirkwood and stalked off, back straight and head held up proudly.

Ori scurried desperately after her, his eyes nearly bugging out of his head. She had to slow her pace after a few corridors, her breathing coming hard. Clenching her fists, she said conversationally, "Do you suppose I killed him?"

Ori could hear the remorse in her voice despite her casual words. He shook his head. "Nah, us dwarves are made of sterner stuff than that. Ask Gloin how many times his wife's taken a skillet to his thick skull, especially when she was carrying Gimli. I must say though, you have quite a swing. Dwalin's gonna want to train you on the war hammer once the little one has come."

They had nearly reached her rooms and she was still fuming when her back suddenly cramped fiercely and she felt something wet splash over her feet. She froze, staring down at the growing puddle around her feet. Oh Yavanna, not now. She couldn't be going into labor now, she wasn't ready. She looked up to find Ori staring at her, bone white. He squeaked, "Did your water just break?"

She shrugged. He stuttered, "I...I...I'm j..just going t..to get O..Oin."

Before she could say anything, he was gone, racing down the hallway.

Suddenly, she was just done, done with dwarves, done with the mountain, and done with all males in general. Waddling as quickly as she could, she made her way into her room and barred the door. When a hobbit woman was pregnant, she was driven to create a safe room/nest to give birth in. No doubt an instinct long left over from their wandering days. It had taken months of work, but she had finally gotten everything secured to her satisfaction. There was no way that anyone would be able to break in now and no one was entering unless she admitted them.

She hardened her heart. So what if Kili had abandoned her? She still had a beautiful baby on the way and it was going to be hers to love and nurture. She would just have to get used to doing things alone, starting with giving birth. She stripped out of her soiled gown into a clean shift and started to build a nest. She murmured reassuringly to her child. "Hold on just a little longer, little one, then we can work on bringing you out into this world, ok?"

* * *

Groaning, Kili woke up on the floor of the foyer of the grand cavern. His head pounded and he reached up to gingerly touch it, wondering if Dwalin had snuck up and walloped him again. Forcing his eyes open, he looked up to find a smirking Fili bending over him. He said mockingly, "Finally awake, sleeping beauty?"

Somewhat dazed and disoriented, Kili sat up. He glanced around the foyer in confusion. When had the hall been restored. He squinted at the group nearby, and what were elves doing in Erebor. The last thing that he remembered was heading out into battle and kissing Bella one last time. His eyes widening, he looked around but didn't find the hobbit anywhere. Jumping to his feet, he grabbed Fili's arm and asked urgently, "Where's Bella?"

Fili's smirk widened, "She left after walloping you upside the head with a skillet. About time, I say."

Shaking his head to clear away the headache, he wondered what he was missing. He asked, "Why would she do that?"

Fili's smirk fell away. "Oh, perhaps because you were flirting with an elf."

His confusion just grew, "Why in the world would I do that? I'm betrothed to Bella. As soon as amad gets here, we're going to wed. What's going on? If this is a joke, it's not funny."

Fili studied him, "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Why wouldn't I be? What's going on?"

"During the battle, you were gravely injured. You were in a coma for the past three and a half months. Then, a week ago, you woke up, but had no idea whom Bella was and told her that you basically wanted nothing to do with her or your child."

Kili's knees went weak and he clutched desperately at Fili's arm. "Child? Bella's pregnant?"

"You really don't remember. Bella must've knocked your head back straight." He chuckled, "We should have tried that sooner."

Kili begged, "Bella's pregnant? And I told her that I wanted nothing to do with her or the child? Not even try to be friends. Please, tell me that this is some sort of sick joke."

Seeing Kili's genuine distress, Fili softened. "I wish I could, but you said that. However, she begged Thranduil to save you and then spent three and a half months waiting for you to wake up. You'll have to make it up to her, but you can still fix this."

Kili sat down abruptly, "Oh Mahal, I'm going to be an adad." He grinned brightly. "Bella's pregnant." He sprang to his feet. "I have to find her, tell her that I'm sorry and I love her. I'm so happy."

Ori chose that moment to tear through the cavern, shouting for Oin. When Fili called for him to stop, he yelled back, "I have to find Oin, Bella's in labor."

Kili felt his face lose all color and he begged Fili, "Take me to her, I need to be beside her, even if she's angry with me. Please nadad."

Fili nodded and took off, Kili hot on his heels. As they ran, others of the company joined them. Proving once again that gossip traveled faster than fire, Nori teased him. "I heard that Bella knocked you on yer arse."

Kili shook his head, "If even half of what Fili says is true, I deserved it. I can't believe that I acted like he said that I did."

Nori grunted, "Should've walloped you days ago."

Fili chuckled, "That's what I told him. But Bella told us to be kind, remember. Just be glad that he came to his senses." He glanced at Kili and said casually, "Oh, and Kili? You make her cry again and I'll personally throw you down the nearest mine shaft. She's been through enough without you going all hot and cold on her."

Kili nodded grimly, "I'll toss myself down one first before hurting her again."

They finally reached Bella's door. Holding up a hand to keep Kili from barging in, Fili knocked and called softly, "Namith, can I enter? Ori said that it's time."

She said tartly, "Ori has a big mouth. Go away, I want no one in here."

Fili frowned, "Bella, you're in labor."

Sarcasm practically dripped from her words, "No, really? I would've had no idea if you hadn't told me. Go away."

Fili tried the door and scowled when he found it barred. He pleaded, "Bella, please, let me in. Let me help you through this." He looked at Nori who nodded and slipped away, most likely to take an alternate route in.

She grunted, pain lacing her words, "I don't need any help, I'm just fine on my own."

Kili looked at Fili pleadingly and Fili sighed but stepped away enough to make room for him. Swallowing hard, Kili rested his hand on the door. He said softly, pleading and longing winding through his voice, "Bella, love, please open the door. I'm so sorry for everything I've done and put you through the past week. I'll let you hit me as many times as you want. Just please, let us in."

She scoffed, bitterness lacing her voice, "Yeah right, like I'm really going to believe that because I hit you upside the head, you're suddenly all back to normal and want me and the baby again. You can tell Thorin or whomever is forcing you that I am just fine on my own and have no need to have someone who's being coerced to be here, thank you very much."

He leaned his forehead on the door and tried again. "It's the truth. I don't know what I can say to make you believe me. And if half of what Fili tells me I've done in the past week is true, then you deserve to be angry at me. But please don't suffer because I hurt you. Please. Let us in."

She sighed and she sounded so weary that it broke his heart, "No. Just go away. I won't put my heart on the line again just to have you walk away for a third time. I wouldn't be able to put myself together again. So just go."

Oin chose that moment to appear, shouldering through the company gathered around Bella's door. He growled, "What's the meaning of all this?"

Kili whirled to face him, frustration and relief warring on his face. "She won't let us in. She's barred the door somehow. Please, help."

The healer studied the frantic young dwarf and grunted, "So, ye've finally come to yer senses. Good. Head wounds are always tricky things. Move aside and let me talk to her."

Kili moved with alacrity and Oin bellowed at the door, "Now lass, what's all this nonsense? Let me in."

She screamed back loud enough for the hard of hearing healer to hear clearly, "No, I'm having a baby, not dying. Woman have been doing this for centuries, I'll be, ungh, just fine."

He bellowed back, "I don't care, I'm coming in there." He applied his shoulder to the door, but it didn't budge. Taking a step back, he indicated for Kili and Fili to break down the door. But despite their best efforts and increasing franticness, they couldn't make the door budge. Ori gave it a try, but with the same result.

Fili muttered to himself, "What in the world did she do to the door? I think that it would stop a cave troll."

Bella had stopped answering them, only her low moans and scattered swearing let them know that she was still conscious. Nori chose that moment to reappear, panting. "The lass somehow managed to block off every entrance. I couldn't get in."

Letting them know that she was listening to them, she barked out a harsh laugh. Nori pleaded, "Bella, lass, please let us in. You're scaring us."

The rest of the company finally arrived at a run. The assembled dwarves quickly explained what was going on. Dori got a fey look in his eyes. He growled, "I am not losing another woman in my family to child birth. Never again." Taking Ori's war hammer, he growled and smashed it against the door. To the company's amazement, the door didn't give but did dent slightly. That didn't stop Dori as he swung again and again, his muscles bulging as he roared from the effort. Finally on the fifth blow, the door couldn't take the strain any more and simply disintegrated, throwing Dori off balance but Ori quickly stabilized him. Oin marched into the room, the other dwarves hot on his heels.

They found Bella crouched in the middle of the floor in the middle of a nest of blankets, her face red and dripping with sweat as she clutched her stomach as another contraction rolled over her. He barked at Kili, "Pick her up and get her to the bed in the bedroom. Everyone else, out into the hallway until I say otherwise."

Her face contorted with pain, she cried, "No!"

Oin barked at her, "You can hate him all you want later, but he's responsible for half of this. He stays. Everyone else out."

The company reluctantly did as order. Kili walked over and tenderly scooped her up, drinking her in. Tears trickled from her eyes and she wouldn't meet his. Setting her delicately on the bed, he rushed out of the room, only to return moments later with an ewer of cool water and a washcloth. Sitting on the opposite side from Oin, he dipped the cloth into the water and wrung it out before gently wiping her face. She scowled at him but leaned into his touch, the water helping to cool her off.

He quickly repeated the action several times until the flush started to fade slightly. Dipping it again, he offered the cloth wordlessly to her. She took it without looking at him and laid it across the back of her neck, moaning in relief at the coolness. While she was distracted, he took the chance to study her. She was absolutely breathtaking, fairly glowing.

Oin spoke up, "Well, looks like you aren't that far along yet. I'm going to go talk to the others, make sure that they fix yer door. You two need to talk. And lass, don't kill the lad or injure him too badly. I need to be tending you, not fixing him up. I'll be back in a minute."

He stumped out of the room and closed the door behind him, leaving an awkward silence in his wake.

Kili searched for something to say, but all that came out was, "You look beautiful, Bella."

She scowled at him. "I'm not beautiful, I'm so fat that I'm as big as a house. I am also spectacularly pissed at you at the moment, in case the skillet upside the head wasn't clue enough for you."

He shook his head, "I don't remember that, although I do have a rather spectacular lump." He picked up her hand and laced it with his. "But I am serious, love. You are gorgeous. You are carrying our child, I never thought I would be so blessed. I am so sorry that I left you all alone during this. I'm so sorry for whatever it was that I said to you when I woke up. But the last thing I can remember was kissing you before going to fight. I don't remember the battle or even apparently last week. It's all just, blank."

She studied his face and saw the clear love, devotion, and awe shining brightly in his eyes. Right then, another contraction started. Shifting her grip on his hand, she bore down and squeezed his hand hard, struggling to breathe through the pain. She was vaguely aware of Kili stroking her back with his other hand, murmuring words of love and encouragement to her. Once the contraction passed, she straightened up and said, "This child is eager to be born. Just like their father, no patience."

He got the dopiest grin on his face and said in an awed voice, "I'm going to be an adad."

Sighing, she growled, "If you ever do that to me again, I will gut you myself and be done with it." And then she hauled him down for a hard kiss.

He pulled her close, although there was more of her than there used to be, and kissed her back tenderly, trying to show her how much he loved and adored her.

A bark from the doorway got their attention and they looked to find Oin standing there. "None of that now, that's what got you here in the first place. Now it's time to concentrate on getting that baby born."

Another contraction washed over her and she groaned, "Somehow, I don't think I could forget that."

Oin grumbled about cheeky hobbits but moved back over to check again.

* * *

The company gathered in Bella's sitting room, their full attention focused on the shut bedroom door, although they tried to be discreet about it. Thorin asked Bofur and Bifur as they placed a rough door into the empty frame, "What the hell did she do to the door to make it stand up against Dori and a war hammer?"

They shrugged and Bofur scratched his head in puzzlement. "I've never seen anything like that before. I'm going to have to ask the lass what she did. It would be damn near impenetrable for anything short of a frantic dwarf with Ri strength. I'm half convinced that it would have stopped a raging cave troll."

Fili paced anxiously, glancing at the closed bedroom door every few seconds. After yet another muffled groan from Bella, he cried, "How long does it take to have a baby?"

Gloin said kindly, "As long as it takes lad, and oftentimes first pebbles take longer."

He protested, his face pale, "But she's in pain."

Thorin said gruffly, "That's the price of life. Every child brought into this world is bought by his mother's strength and suffering. Why do you think that we refer to it as a battle? Dwarves are not strong enough to go through it, which is why dams are all the more incredible for what they endure." When there was another cry, he admitted. "Your amad did this twice and it never gets easier to think of your sister in pain. But she would've never traded either of you for anything, even the suffering of a long labor."

Right then, Bella gave a sharp long cry, followed moments later by an infant's cry. Fili sank to his knees, looking dazed. "I'm an uncle."

A couple of minutes passed and then suddenly Oin pushed Kili out the door with a tiny bundle held tightly in his arms with a barked order to give him a minute to get Bella cleaned up. Kili slowly made his way over to the fireplace carefully cradling the bundle, his face filled with awe. He stopped next to Fili, his eyes teary, he whispered, "We have a son. I'm an adad."

Climbing to his feet, Fili peered down at his tiny nephew, his features just as awestruck. "He's beautiful, nadad."

Kili grinned, his lips trembling, "He has Bella's eyes."

Fili chuckled, "Yeah, but that is definitely a Durin nose."

The rest of the company drew closer, staying very quiet so as to not startle the infant that was looking at them all with wide green eyes. They cooed and admired the infant, although all of them had tears in their eyes. It was Thorin that asked the question that they were all wondering, "Do you have a name for him?"

Kili shook his head and chuckled, "Believe it or not, we've been a little too busy to discuss names. A braver warrior you've never met." The babe began to grizzle quietly, searching for his absent mother. "She should be done by now, excuse me." He walked over and reached the door right when Oin opened it to call him.

He entered to find her in a clean nightgown and tucked under the blankets. She looked exhausted but she fairly glowed with happiness and contentment. Walking swiftly over, he sat on the side of the bed and carefully placed their son, THEIR SON, into her waiting arms. She moved the gown aside and waited for him to latch on. He quickly did and started nursing greedily. Kili shifted and then carefully shifted Bella so that he could support her while she nursed. Peeking over her shoulder, he murmured in her ear, "I have never seen anything more precious. Thank you, love, for this beautiful gift."

She smiled down at the nursing babe and murmured, "He's got your nose."

Kili hummed contently, "And your eyes."

Bella suddenly giggled. "I just realized that I never picked a name out. I was waiting for you to wake up so you could help me."

Wrapping his arm fractionally tighter around her waist, he buried his nose in the juncture of her neck and inhaled deeply. His voice sorrowful, he murmured, "Oh, love. I was fighting to get back to you, know that much if nothing else. I'm just sorry that it took so long."

She lifted up her free hand and ran it soothingly through his hair. "You are here now. I'm sorry for all the awful things I said earlier. I didn't mean any of them, truly."

He chuckled, "You're so fierce, my Bella."

They both watched in silence while their son nursed. She had to switch sides and he grizzled grumpily, but settled back down quickly enough. Once he was calm again, Bella said quietly, "How about Vili, after your father?"

Kili felt his heart clench, "Bella, you don't have to do that."

She smiled up at him. "I want to. From what you and Fili have told me of him, he was a valiant warrior. It is a good strong name for the first dwobbit in Erebor."

He said questioningly, "Dwobbit?"

She rolled her eyes. "It's a term that Nori coined that unfortunately stuck. Since our baby is half dwarf, half hobbit, he must be a dwobbit."

Kili laughed loudly but quickly smothered it when it startled the baby. "I think Vili is a wonderful name. I can't wait to show him to amad."

Bella said firmly, "You are going to marry me before she arrives and then we can have a formal ceremony once she's settled. There is no way I am facing her telling her that I had a baby with her baby out of wedlock. Goodness, she's gonna think that I'm some sort of hussy that only used you for your money."

He stroked her hair gently, already planning her marriage braid, "She's going to adore you. She might kill me and you'll be a widow, but she'll take good care of you, I promise."

Vili finally finished eating and Bella handed him to Kili while she made herself presentable. Taking the babe back, she commanded him softly, "Go fetch the company so they can all see me and Vili and then I need to sleep, I'm exhausted."

He slid his fingers under her chin and lifted her face for a kiss before pulling back reluctantly, "You are amazing love."

He turned and walked to his door before pausing. Laughter in her voice, she said tartly, "Oh no, you're staying. You're on night duty." His shoulders relaxed and he moved over to the door, opening it and inviting the company in. The company shuffled in, quieter than she'd ever seen them, awe on their expressions. Smiling brightly, she called softly, "Come in, it's all right. I'm sorry for locking you out earlier."

Thorin grumbled slightly at that, but still couldn't keep the happiness off his face. Both Bella and Kili were fairly glowing and the sleepy infant was passed around with the utmost care. Bella melted as she watched them coo and melt over the baby. She had never foreseen this when she had left her home in the Shire, but these dwarves had become her family and had treated her much better than her family in the Shire ever had. And the support that she had gotten since the battle had been unbelievable, keeping her going even during all the stress and uncertainty.

It was Nori that asked, his face alight with pure wonder, no trace of his usual smirk to be found, "Have you come up with a name for this wee one?"

Bella grasped Kili's hand tightly, beaming at them. "We were thinking Vili."

The dwarves didn't bat an eyelid, other than Fili tearing up again. "That's a fine name for such a strong wee lad. You've done well, Bella. He's beautiful."

He passed Vili back to her and then the dwarves came over and murmured congratulations while giving her gifts. Dori had made an absolutely gorgeous baby blanket and Bofur's carved rattle was a thing of art. She couldn't believe the amount of care and crafting that went into each precious gift and she found herself crying. Kili had panicked, quietly, at that, but she reassured him that it was because she was so happy.

However, this seemed to be a signal for them all to leave so she could rest, although they promised to come see her the next day. Having been somewhat lovingly smothered during her pregnancy, she had the feeling that it would only be worse now that Vili was actually here. Allowing her eyes to drift closed, she couldn't help the smile that bloomed softly on her face. Everything was going to be all right.


	2. Dis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Originally posted May 27th, 2020

Bella hurried through the halls, firmly holding a squirmy, giggly little one while vainly trying to smooth her unruly curls. She muttered under her breath, "Of course, this just had to happen on the day that I'm meeting my mother-in-law. Just the thing to make a wonderful first impression, she's gonna adore me, sure." There was another giggling coo from the little one and she couldn't help the rueful smile that appeared as she wrinkled her nose, making the baby giggle again, "And of course, you think it's funny. You definitely inherited your father's sunny nature."

Hearing the sound of shouting, she abandoned her hair and picked up her speed, "Now we just have to make sure that your grandmother doesn't kill your adad, yes we do." The baby gurgled and Bella laughed, "That sounds like a plan, little one."

The guards were smirking as she scampered past, although they did incline their heads respectfully to her. Bella rolled her eyes but didn't slow down, able to hear the feminine tone to the shouts. Then they were out in the sunshine, the caravan pulled up to a neat stop in front of the gates. She ignored the caravan for the moment, all of her attention focused on the commotion. A dark hair dwarf had Kili's braids in their hand and was pulling firmly on it, yelling at him about heavens knew what, her grasp of rapidly spoken Khuzdul still rather shaky.

Drawing closer and seeing Fili pleading with the person, she realized that it was a dam, not a dwarf like she had originally assumed, the worn traveling leathers and road dust having temporarily disguised that. When the dam turned and snapped something at Fili, her features were like seeing a female Thorin, daintier and feminine, but still strong and determined. That meant that it could only be one person.

Seeing Dis yank on Kili's hair once again and seeing that all of the males were looking on with a mixture of helplessness and amusement, she knew that it was up to her to save him. Pushing through the crowd until she was close enough, she called firmly, "Lady Dis!"

The dam snarled and turned to see who had dared interrupt her and Bella shoved Vili into her arms, making sure to keep her hands ready in case the dam didn't have a good grip. This forced her to let go of Kili's braid in order to carefully cradle the baby and not drop him. The dam and the baby stared at each other wide-eyed for several moments before Vili grinned and gurgled happily at her, no doubt her similarity to Thorin setting him at ease. It was adorable to see how Dis melted and started cooing at the little one.

Pleased that she had managed to stave off Kili's murder at the hands of his homicidal mother, at least for the moment, Bella left Vili in the dam's care and move over to her husband's side. Kili was rubbing his much abused scalp when she gently pushed his hand aside so she could examine it. His ear was bright red from where Dis had most likely grabbed and twisted it to bring him down to eye level and his braid was rather disarrayed. Carefully unraveling it, she started redoing it while she murmured, "You'll live, no lasting damage." She quickly finished the braid and re-clipped the bead, smoothing it back from his face and cupping his cheek, rubbing her thumb over his cheekbone for the briefest of seconds before allowing her hand to drop.

She went to step away and Kili stopped her, his nimble fingers working on sorting out the mess her curls had become. He murmured, "You were supposed to be here to greet the caravan. Are you alright? Did something happen?"

Bella sighed as he made quick work of her braids before smiling up at him and said wryly, "Your son thought it was a good idea to spit his breakfast up all over my hair and dress right after I finished getting ready. It took a bit to sort out. My apologies, I really did mean to be here on time."

Kili quickly started the last braid, grinning absently at her, "Why is he only my son when something goes wrong?"

She arched an eyebrow, "Do I really need to answer that? Or maybe we should ask your mother?"

Kili clasped the final bead into place and they both looked over at Dis, Kili's arm dropping around her shoulder and drawing her into his side. Dis was watching them, a curious expression on her face while she absently bounced Vili in her arms. Bella murmured, "We might as well get this over with. C'mon, introduce me to your mother."

Kili dropped a kiss on her hair and murmured, "She'll love you. Besides, Vili is an excellent escape strategy."

He guided her over to where his mother was waiting and smiled at her, "Amad, this is my wife, Bella. Bella, this is Dis, our amad."

Bella curtsied to her, glad that at least she didn't look as disarrayed as she had just a few moments ago, "Lady Dis, it is a pleasure to meet you. I've heard a lot about you from your kin, so I have been eagerly awaiting your arrival."

Dis studied her for several moments without expression and Bella met her eyes calmly, refusing to squirm under the dam's intense gaze. Then Dis smiled widely, "Oh, I like you." Carefully passing Vili over to Thorin, Dis pulled Bella into a fierce hug before pulling back to arm's length. "Finally, someone in the family with common sense. Straight to the heart of the problem with a simple solution, no fussing, no debating, and no life ending injuries."

Bella fought not to raise an eyebrow at that, apparently Thorin was in hot water with Dis, but since Dis would most likely not kill him she decided that it wasn't her problem. Instead she smiled, "No one can resist Vili. Why mess with a successful strategy?"

Dis's eyes were filled with both love and loss at the name, but she quickly blinked it away and smiled warmly at Bella, her demeanor softening, "Not only that, you seem to truly adore my baby and he seems to adore you in return. That is what every mother wishes for their child." The woman turned and looked at Vili, who was giggling as he tugged on Thorin's beard.

Bella murmured, "They are both my heart and Vili is my treasure. Even when we didn't know if Kili would wake, he gave me the strength to keep going. He was our brightest light in a dark time, our hope." He tugged too hard and Thorin winced but didn't try to remove his beard from the little's grip. Bella smiled and said tartly, "They all spoil him rotten though."

Dis scooped him back out of Thorin's arms, patiently de-tangling the tiny grasping fingers, no easy task as Bella learned early on. "It's right that he be spoiled, he is all of our hope. And I know what you mean about the strength to keep going. Fili and Kili were sometimes all that kept me going during the tough times, especially after we lost my Vili. Now come, I would hear about your travels and your relationship with Kili."

Bella cooed at Vili who gurgled happily back, but didn't try to take him from Dis, "If you're not needed to oversee the caravan, I have refreshments laid out for you in our meeting room. And I'll make you a deal, tales of our time for tales of when Fee and Kee were little."

Dis chuckled at that, her eyes alight, "My second is handling everything. You drive a hard bargain, I accept. Oh, I can't wait to see Erebor again, I haven't been here since I was a young lass. And all of the men say that you're an excellent story teller."

Watching the women walk into Erebor, Kili tried to decide if he was happy or terrified that his wife and mother were getting on so well. Fili moved over to stand beside him, trepidation on his face, "I wanted amad to like Bella, but now I'm wondering if that was such a good idea. If she finds out half of what happened on the quest, we're dead dwarves."

Kili smiled at that, clasping his brother's shoulder and squeezing lightly, "Ah, but worse come to worst, we can blame everything on uncle. If she's going to kill Thorin, she can't kill you because Erebor will need a king. And she won't kill me because that would leave Bella with all the work of caring for a pebble alone. So we're safe for the moment."

Thorin swept by at that moment and muttered 'traitors' under his breath. However, he couldn't blame the lads for Kili's plan, it was a good one. Now he just had to figure out a reason good enough for Dis not to kill him either.

Relief washed over Fili's face and he grinned at Kili. Suddenly realizing that the rest of their family had already disappeared inside Erebor, the princes hurried after them.

* * *

It was getting late and most of the company had already sought their beds, only the Durins lingering and talking, unwilling to part so soon. Bella was nodding off, Vili cradled firmly in her arms. Kili quietly excused himself and went over to wake them. Fili hastily excused himself as well and hurried after Kili. Catching him before he could shake Bella fully awake, he murmured his plan and Kili nodded his agreement.

Fili carefully lifted Vili from Bella's arms, murmuring soothingly when she stirred, "I've got him, namad, just rest

Bella settled back down immediately, her eyes fluttering closed again. Kili carefully scooped her out of the chair and settled her into his arms. She grumbled but snuggled closer, sighing his name contentedly. With Vili tucked securely in the crook of one arm, Fili held open the door for Kili, both of them nodding goodnight to their amad and Thorin.

Dis just watched quietly until they were out of the room before turning to her brother, sadness and happiness mingled in her gaze, "They really do love each other, don't they? When did my babies get big enough to fall in love and have babies of their own?"

Thorin sighed, smoking his pipe contentedly, his little family safe and complete once again. "Those two were smitten from the moment they laid eyes on one another, much like you and Vili. However, it wasn't until Rivendell that they stopped dancing around one another and started courting properly. Amongst other things," he grumbled, but there was no true heat behind it.

Dis chuckled, "The young will ever be impulsive. And you know Kee, he loves wholeheartedly. I always worried that he would get his heart broken by some conniving wench, unworthy of the gift that is his heart."

Thorin nodded, remember all the scrapes that Kili had gotten into as a dwarfling because of his big heart. "The quest was hard on them, stressful and draining, him worried about her safety and her fretting over his health and future. They love each other dearly, but can bicker worse than the lads did as dwarflings some days. The two of them were always up to something and dragging half of the company in as well."

Dis grinned at him, lounging in her chair like a contented cat, "He comes by it honestly, do you remember half of mischief we got up to as pebbles. And Vili was just as much a scamp, although his nature was much sunnier than ours."

Thorin's grip on his pipe tightened until it creaked, in danger of shattering from the strength of his grip. "Well, Smaug was defeated and we had all somehow survived, but then the situation happened followed immediately by the battle. I had come to my senses, but too late I feared. Kili fell while he was guarding me where I was still sluggish from the sickness. I thought we'd lost him then and there and it was enough to jolt from me the last dregs of the sickness. How he survived, I'll never know, but it was a Mahal blessed miracle."

Dis remained silent, remembering the battle that their grandfather had tried to fight against the gold sickness and had ultimately failed. That Thorin had managed to throw it off spoke to the strength of his heart and loyalty to those he called kin.

"Dwalin tried to keep her out of the tent, you know. No one should have to mourn a loved one lost like that, unable to even say a final goodbye. But as I'm sure you've already figured out, she had a spine of pure mithril. She marched in like she was a queen, sat beside him, then picked up his hand and placed it on her belly, begging him to fight, to fight to come back to her, but most of all, to come back for their babe. You could've knocked me over with a feather, every other dwarf as well. I'm ashamed to admit that I accused her of lying and trying to keep him here. She tore me a new one, pretty as you please. Then she slips away and managed to get that blasted leaf eater to come heal him. I will forever hate him for turning his back on our people, but he saved Kili's life and for that he has my gratitude."

Dis tensed up, knowing what came next and remembering her own long vigil, one that did not have so happy of an ending, "But he didn't wake."

Thorin's eyes were filled with sympathy for his sister's sorrow as well as remembered pain of losing a dwarf that he considered his brother in everything but blood, "No, he didn't wake. Thranduil said that his body was healed but he would wake when he was ready and not before. During the quest, your two, Bella, and Ori had all become as thick as thieves. Since his brother was unable to care for his One, Fili stepped into his place to care for the one that he adores as dearly as a sister. They leaned heavily on each other for support. Kili had been his brother's shadow since he was born and he was Bella's heart. So they waited and encouraged each other, constantly saying, 'He'll wake up any time now.' It nearabout made me weep at times."

Dis offered quietly, "It's good for siblings to have a strong bond, to have someone to guard your back and support you through the tough times."

Thorin grinned at her, "Aye, that's true. So then he woke and had no recall of Bella. Even worse, he told Bella that he wanted nothing to do with her or the babe."

Dis hissed, "I'll scalp him myself. How dare he put his One through such pain. Even if he felt nothing for her, I know that I raised him better."

Thorin shrugged, relaxing into his chair, "Head wounds can be tricky, namad. Bella asked us to let him be, see if he recovered on his own. We owed her so much that the least we could do was respect her wishes. However, she doesn't know how close Fili came to tossing him down a mine shaft for the distress Kili was causing her. He came storming into my office that first day after he had escorted Bella to her chambers, ranting about how he would shave Kili bald for the pain that he had caused her. I managed to talk him out of it, if only because I knew that you would want to do it yourself when you arrived."

Dis said crisply, "Thank you! You know me so well."

Thorin chuckled, still wishing that he had gotten to see the next bit himself, "So, a week after he wakes up, she brought me a skillet to mend. I did my best to cheer her up because she seemed to be in pain. I thought she was upset because of Kili, not that she was in physical labor. She excused herself as soon as the task was done, pleading exhaustion. Now, I did not see this part, but Fili did. He said that Kili was flirting with an elf from the Mirkwood when Bella happened to be returning to her chambers and saw him. Fili swears that she came out of nowhere and that he would've sworn that she was a Balrog, so furious was she. She chewed him out, walloped him unconscious, curtsied as pretty as you please to the elves and then returned to her rooms. Dwalin's still trying to persuade her to declare the war hammer as a weapon."

Dis roared at that, "Oh, she is a lass after my own heart! I'll have to get Fili to tell me the tale in detail."

Thorin nodded, knowing that he never grew weary of that story being told. "Apparently the blow returned him to his senses. When he woke, he was desperate for Bella, having no memories beyond that of heading out to fight. Of course, that was the moment your grandson decided it was a good idea to announce his impending arrival. She had managed to barricade herself in her rooms and it took Dori to break through, five hits at full strength with Ori's hammer."

Dis whistled at that, knowing that Thorin had crafted Ori's hammer specially to stand up to the Ri strength, especially as it looked like Ori was going to surpass Dori in strength. "So what happened after that?"

Thorin shrugged, "No one knows for sure, Oin hustled them into her room. We could hear her snarl and snap at him and he pleaded and soothed, but their voices were too low to hear what exactly was said. However, they did reconcile before Vili was born, we know that much. As soon as she regained her strength, they were married and have been inseparable ever since. It was a rocky start, but I know that they'll stand strong through all that life throws at them."

Dis stared down into her nearly empty tankard, her expression contemplative, "I knew that they had named the pebble Vili, but when they called his name today, my heart felt like it had been sliced in two. He's been gone for over a decade now, but I still wake and find myself reaching for him. However, when the little one giggled so trustingly in my arms, it was like a soothing balm. It didn't erase the ache, but it soothed it. And watching them tend and care for each other, uncaring of who might be watching, the love and joy in each other so clear on their faces. I think that Vili would've been charmed by our son's lass. And I think that he would be pleased with the grandson that carries his name, even as he protested over them saddling their son with his name."

Standing, she downed the last of her ale and set her tankard aside. "Come, brother. The hour grows late and all of this reminiscing is making me melancholy. Show me to my chambers so that I may rest. I have a big day of spoiling my grandson and new daughter tomorrow and would prefer to be well rested."

He rose, tapping the ashes from his pipe into the dying embers of the fireplace before carefully stowing it away. "Your wish is my command, mizimith." Holding open the door for her, he said firmly, his eyes relieved, "It's good to have you home, Dis."

She smiled warmly and looped her arm through his, "It's good to be home, nadad. Now, where is this wonderful feather bed that my sons have promised me?"

The door closed quietly on the now silent room, only the flicker of dying embers lighting the room. But come daylight, the room would be filled once again with the hustle and bustle of the various members of the company as they came and went, but even more importantly, it would be filled with the lives of a family creating memories in a place that had once been dark and desolate. Erebor would never be the Lonely Mountain again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Praying for peace, strength, and wisdom. 
> 
> We are strong together!


	3. Rivendell Interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted August 9th, 2020  
> Updated Sept. 27th, 2020

It was after lunch on the second day after Dis had arrived when the male Durins had reluctantly excused themselves to take care of a couple of small matters that had arisen that needed their oversight. The women had waved them off, protesting that they would be fine on their own. That had only caused them to look even more apprehensive, but they did manage to drag themselves away, Kili stealing a quick kiss from Bella before he left.

Dis had smiled at that, the obvious affection between the two of them easing a worry that had been gnawing at her since she had first found out about the pair. Cuddling a sleeping Vili closer, Dis laughed, "You'd think that they thought that I was going to attack you horribly or something if they take their eyes off of us for two seconds."

Bella laughed heartily at that, "Oh no, they're not worried about you. They're worried about what tales I might tell you about what happened on the quest."

An interested gleam lit up Dis's eyes at that, but she shook her head ruefully, looking down at the sleeping pebble in her arms. "Not while they're gone and the little one is sleeping. I want them nearby so when I learn exactly what foolishness they got up to, I can express my feelings on the matter."

That caused Bella to chuckle again as she poured Dis some tea and carefully settled in on the table near Dis before sitting again. "What would you like to talk about then? Maybe your trip from Ered Luin? I know that we didn't get to speak much of it last night."

Dis studied her thoughtfully, "Actually, I want to talk about you and Kili. Thorin told me that you two finally started courting in Rivendell. What changed?"

Bella took a careful sip of her tea, thinking back over the series of events that led to the start of her and Kili's courtship.

* * *

_Rivendell_

Bella sat at the table and fumed silently. Never had she been so angry and humiliated, and that counted the time that Otho had tried to propose to her in the middle of market square, so that was really saying something. They were finally safe at Rivendell, with time to rest for at least the night and a meal in front of them. Yes, there was a lack of meat, but that was no call for the dwarves behavior. They were rude and crude and Bofur's idea of proper entertainment was appalling, even if the tune was catchy. But she was willing to overlook all of this, when in Rome and all that, although she refused to participate in such behavior.

No, what had her blood boiling and her heart breaking was a certain worthless dwarven prince sitting just across and slightly down the table from her. As soon as she had opened the door to her smial, she had known that he was her One. Hell, she had signed a contract to face down a bloody dragon to spend time together so that she could get to know him better. Because of him, she had been manhandled by trolls while trying to fix his mistakes.

And there he was flirting (badly) with the various elf maids around the room. Finally fed up, she stood and slipped out of the room unnoticed. Although it had been the first decent meal that she had had the opportunity to eat, after all, her chance at a hot meal had been missed because she'd taken the princes their food, she had no appetite. Unwilling to return to her room, and a little uncertain of where exactly her room was anyway, she wandered the hallways.

To her surprise, she happened across a library. She wandered in hesitantly and was greeted warmly by the elf in charge of the library. When she had asked if she could look around, the elf informed her that all of the information in this particular library was available for any who cared to read it. Taking this to mean that there were no political or sensitive tomes, she was nonetheless delighted. She wandered through the shelves, pulling various books out and flipping through them until she found a few that caught her interest.

She carried them with her over to a cozy window seat and picked one at random. Reading had always helped her deal with a broken heart before, maybe it could help this time. And if nothing else, it would at least distract her for a little while, give her poor brain and heart a rest.

* * *

When her eyes had finally grown too heavy, she approached the helpful elf for directions back to her rooms. She beckoned over an elf to guide her back and permitted her to take the tomes with her. She had grinned shyly at the elf and gratefully followed the other one back to her rooms.

Knowing that they would be at Rivendell for at least two weeks until Thorin's map could be read, Bella was grateful that she wouldn't have to be around Kili very much. It would give her a little time to patch up her heart. With this objective firmly at the front of her mind, she ate in her rooms and spent the rest of the time in the library. She had seen Ori in the library a few times, but it had been easy enough to avoid him until Dori came and dragged him out and back to wherever the dwarves were. She had also seen several of the company roaming the hallways. Although they appeared to be wandering aimlessly, she took care to avoid being seen by them.

She had even seen Kili twice, but had easily slipped out of sight before he saw her. Not that he would be looking, she thought bitterly. Thus a week passed in relative peace. This lasted until one night when she was heading back late to her rooms. She was reading one of the books and didn't see Fili leaning on the wall across from her door until it was too late. His voice startled her and her head shot up, "There you are."

Reluctantly shutting the book, she said, "Does Thorin need me for something?"

"No, but the company is worried about you. We haven't seen you for days. You don't eat with us and none of us have been able to find you, no matter how hard we've looked."

She said tiredly, "Well, as you can see, I'm fine. Just taking advantage of some things to do some research."

He studied her closely, "That wouldn't stop you from taking your meals with us."

She couldn't met his eyes. "It's just easier to eat and work. Thank you for checking on me, but as you can see, I'm perfectly fine just busy. I'll be ready to go when the company leaves."

Fili said quietly, "We miss you."

She couldn't hide a tiny flinch. "I'm sure that everyone is getting along just fine without me."

He nodded to himself. It looked like his guess was correct and she was avoiding one of the company, but which one? "Ori's got a ton of questions that he wants to ask you and Dwalin wants to start on some basic training with you."

"That can all be handled once we are back on the road. I need to research while I have access to the materials."

"Kili's been looking everywhere for you. Maybe he could help you with whatever it is you're looking for?"

Her hands curled into fists involuntarily. "Thank you but no. I'd rather not see him and I'm sure that he's busy doing other things." _Like chasing elf maids_ , she muttered under her breath. "Anyway, I'm tired and going to turn in. Goodnight Fili."

Before he could speak, she was in her rooms with the door closed firmly behind her. Fili stared at the close door before sighing and walking away.

* * *

Fili made his way back to the room he was sharing with his brother. When he entered the room, Kili was already sitting on his bed, the picture of dejection. He looked up when Fili entered, dark circles under his eyes. He said quietly, "Did you find her?"

Fili nodded and Kili immediately perked up, "Is she all right? Where did you see her?"

Fili said firmly, "I waited outside her room until she returned just a few minutes ago. And no, I don't think that will work again and no, she's not going to open the door if you go and knock. She made it quite clear that she did not want to see you or have you help her with the research that she is supposedly doing."

Kili's shoulders slumped and his misery returned.

Fili sat on the bed across from him and pulled off his boots. "You've messed up, big time. What did you do?"

Kili said quietly, "I don't know, I've thought about it over and over, but I can't figure out anything that I might have done to make her mad at me."

Fili looked at him, disbelief clear on his face, "Well, it must have been something serious to make your One so mad at you. She muttered something under her breath about you chasing elf maids."

Kili protested, "I may have flirted a little bit, but I didn't even know that she was my One then."

Fili took a deep breath to rein in his irritation, "When and how did you figure out that she was your One?"

Kili was thoughtful, "It was that same night. Shortly after Bofur did his song. I suddenly felt this overwhelming pain and knew that Bella was the one hurting. I looked for her, but I couldn't find her. The pain eased, but it never went away entirely. I've been looking for her for days, you know that."

Fili nodded. "I know that. But I saw her and there wasn't a mark on her and she was uninjured. What do you think happened?" He wanted Kili to think things through, but it was obvious that the younger dwarf was baffled. He sighed, knowing that he was going to have to spell it out for him. "All right, imagine this. Suppose that you knew since you'd met her that she was your One, but she seemed oblivious. Then we get here and she starts flirting with elves. How would you feel then?"

Anger and hurt blazed in Kili's expression. He spluttered and searched for words. Then understanding light his features and Fili thought, _finally!_

Kili breathed, "Oh crap. I really messed up. How in the world do I even begin to fix this. She hates me. Oh Mahal, I'm doomed."

Mouth reluctantly quirking at Kili's antics, Fili said, "You're going to have to own up to your mistakes like a man and do the right thing."

Kili looked at him desperately, "And what is that?"

"Grovel. Think of when Gloin pissed off his wife. Do you remember what he had to do to get back into her good graces? I'm not saying that you have to go that far, but you definitely have some ground to make up. We can talk to Balin in the morning and see if he has any suggestions. It's going to take a lot of work just to get her to talk to you, but I think I know which library she's holed up. Now get some rest, you're going to need it, nadad."

Shucking off his own boots, Kili tiredly lay back. How had it ever gotten to this point? Yes, he'd always known that Bella was a comely lass, but he'd never have guessed that he would be Mahal blessed enough to have her for his One. But if she had known that they were Ones from the start, it was no wonder that she was upset with him. However, if she had known that they were Ones, it was unfair that she had never approached him. Dams were the ones that initiated courtship, so why hadn't she said anything? If she were mad at him for flirting with others, that had to mean that she at least cared for him a little bit, right? Was she still mad over the troll incident? That was something else that he was kicking himself over. Whether or not she was his One, he never should've sent a lass alone after what had already been discovered as gigantic trolls. The battle with them had taught him first hand how dangerous they truly were. It was a miracle that they hadn't torn her limb from limb.

He had felt beyond sick when Oin had told Thorin about her injuries, about how she would have to be careful nursing her wounds so she didn't lose function in her arms, about the myriad of bruises that covered her. Dwarves were sturdy, they had been built to endure, but hobbits were apparently made of softer stuff, although Bella's spirit and determination shone diamond bright.

He flipped over onto his side. Maybe she was upset that he hadn't protected her. But as soon as they had captured her and was going to hurt her (she had such a silver tongue that he was praying that she could talk her way out of danger), he had sprung to her rescue. He spent most of the night tossing, turning ideas and recriminations over in his mind. He only dozed off shortly before dawn. When Fili rose just a couple of hours later, it drug him from his uneasy sleep.

He rose and dressed, his usual cheerfulness absent, as it had been since the night that Bella had disappeared on him. Once again, she didn't show for breakfast and Kili found himself merely pushing the food on his plate around. After breakfast, as promised, Fili took him to the library that had become Bella's refuge and then left. However, Kili's courage failed him and he couldn't enter. Instead, he made his way to a concealed courtyard/garden that was right behind it.

Here he paced back and forth, trying to pluck up his courage and mumbling various ways to try and work his way back into Bella's good favor.

After several minutes of this, a voice said irritably, "Either stop pacing and speak up so I can hear or take it somewhere else."

He whirled, his hand dropping to his dagger, only to find Bella sitting perched on a bench behind him. She was tucked in an alcove that was not visible unless you knew what to look for, a book sitting open on her lap. His hand fell off his dagger and he stuttered, "B..b..bella."

She inclined her head to him and said evenly, "Kili."

"I, um, I didn't see you there."

"I was here when you arrived, reading. You just didn't bother to look around."

Patience, never his strong suit, failed him entirely. He strode over and plopped down on the ground in front of her. He demanded, "Why have you been avoiding us?"

Her fingers played with the edge of the book. She said softly, "I haven't been avoiding you, I've just been busy with research is all. We'll be back on the road soon and I need to take advantage of this information while I can."

She wouldn't meet his eyes. He conceded, "While that might be true, that's not the whole truth. You've been avoiding me, Bella. Not the company. Me. I want to know what I've done to hurt you so that I can make it up to you"

She closed the book with a snap, her voice brittle, "You didn't hurt me."

His voice was soft as he said, "You are lying, Bella. You won't even meet my gaze. Please, tell me what I did wrong so I can fix this."

Her eyes met his and they were dark with a myriad of emotions. Her voice was just as soft as his. "I did not lie. You did not hurt me, I hurt myself is all. I had hoped..." She shook her head. "But I can see that it was a fool's hope now."

"What did you hope for?"

His voice was gentle and intimate, tempting her to share her worries with him. She shook her head again, shoring up her crumbling will power. "It is of no consequence. Now, what brings you out here pacing and mumbling and disturbing my reading?"

"I wanted to speak with you. Fili said that you have been spending your time in that library. I was working up my courage to go see you."

Her eyebrow gave a sardonic lift. "Come now, surely I am not as scary as all that. Although if you behave as you usually do, you might've been thrown from the library for being too noisy."

"You are perfect. I am scared of ruining things even worse than I already have. I believe that we need to speak to one another, Bella, to quit hiding."

Going to rise, she said firmly, "I'd rather that we didn't, thank you."

He grabbed hold of her skirt. "Please, please, Bella. It's driving me crazy that you are hurting. Just talk to me."

She settled back onto the bench. Tugging her skirt from his grip, she nearly snarled, "What do you want from me?"

"I just want the truth."

Her hands clenched into fists and she struggled with herself. Then she seemed to lose her battle for self control and she spat. "You want the truth, fine, here's the truth. I thought there was the potential for something more between us. I signed the blasted contract so I could get to know you better. And I thought that we were getting along, even if it was just as friends, even if you never seemed drawn to me like I was to you. But then I discover that the reason that you don't seem to notice me is that you are drawn to elf maids. Elf maids of all things! So excuse me if I needed a little time to pick up the pieces and put my heart back together."

He stared at her. "You knew."

Worn out from her outburst, she said tiredly, "Knew what?"

He studied her carefully, "You knew that we were Ones. How long?" She flushed bright red and muttered something under her breath. Although he strained to hear, he couldn't make it out so he was forced to ask, "I couldn't hear that, what did you say?"

She shouted, "I said, since I opened the door on you at Bag End. Happy now? Poor pathetic Bella, no one could want her, not even her One. Look at him over there, flirting with elves. Of course, any one is better than an odd, opinionated spinster hobbit, isn't it. Never had a suitor and never will. Doomed to die alone, an unhappy, unwanted old maid."

She rose as if to flee and he jumped to his feet. He saw red at what she was saying, all the poison that had been dripped into his One's ears over years. Catching her wrist when she started to run, he pulled her back to him. Wrapping one arm around her waist to anchor her to him and bringing the other one to the nape of her neck, he bent and caught her lips in a passionate kiss. She struggled against him angrily, but he kept his grip gentle but firm, his lips coaxing hers to respond.

Just when he was about to let her go, it was wrong to force something on someone that truly didn't want it, she melted into him. Her arms slipped up around his neck and she started kissing him back, her tears flavoring their kiss. He gentled the kiss, wanting to show her how much he cherished her. However, when he tried to pull away, her lips chased his and reclaimed them. He obliged but kept the kiss chaste. They still needed to talk before he kissed her like he was longing too. After several slow sweet kisses, he pulled back again and this time she allowed him to.

She searched his face. "Was that just a pity kiss? Because if it was, I'm going to kick you in the shin, hard."

He brought his thumbs up and gently wiped the tears from her face. "You are beautiful, inside and out, my Bella. Whoever said otherwise was clearly blind. But we need to talk. I shouldn't have kissed you like that." He saw her start to close off and said hastily, "Not because I don't want to kiss you, never that. Mahal, Bella, you taste so sweet. I could feast on your lips for the rest of my life and never be hungry for anything else ever again. But we need to talk." She blushed bright red and it was all he could do not to kiss her again.

Groaning, he released her and flopped down on the ground.

A small giggle slipped from her at his dramatics. Rolling his eyes, and secretly wanting to hear the sweet sound again, he said, "Sure, laugh at my misery. If I were less honorable..."

She giggled again and he grinned up at her. She sat on the ground next to him. Leaning against his side, she rested her head on his shoulder. "What a pair of fools we are. When did you find out? That we are Ones, I mean."

He slipped an arm around her waist and to his delight, she snuggled deeper into his side. "The night that we arrived here. I felt your pain at my actions, although I didn't know that that was the cause then. I searched everywhere for you, but I couldn't find you. I still can't believe that I never realized that we were Ones. The truth is, I never thought that I would be blessed enough to be paired with such a bonny lass as you."

She sighed, "I guess I just have two questions."

Bracing himself, he said, "Tell me what they are, let me set your fears to rest."

"Would you have behaved differently if you had known that we were Ones from the start?"

He thought it over carefully before replying, "Yes and no. I am who I am and my personality wouldn't have changed, much. But I would've courted and treasured you properly like you deserved. When a dwarf finds their One, they are truly blessed. That I found mine, and so young, is truly remarkable. What is your other question?"

She reached up and played absently with a lock of his hair and he had to bite back a groan. "Are you, are you just doing this because we are Ones and it is expected? Or, are you truly interested in me? Because I would rather have a bitter truth than a sweet lie."

"Is that how it is for hobbits? You meet your One and you are expected to marry?"

She nodded without lifting her head off his shoulder, the motion causing a shiver to rush through him. It took him a moment to find words after that small trusting gesture. "That's not the same with dwarves. Dwarves are a proud possessive race. While some dwarves seek their One and cherish them, like Gloin, there are others that feel like their One will only take away from their craft. They are so devoted to it that even if they find their One, they will choose to walk away, unwilling to abandon their craft. And then there are some." He flushed, trying to find a way to phrase it delicately.

"There are some?"

"Sometimes, two dwarves who are wholly dedicated to their craft are Ones. They will not abandon their craft, but occasionally seek each other out for pleasure. Dwarves are not a prudish race and we cherish love wherever and however we find it. However, I don't believe that hobbits are that way."

Her voice was both scandalized and intrigued, "No, certainly not. Oh how they would talk if they knew such things. But if that's what you are expecting from me, I'd rather walk away."

His grip on her waist tightened. "Not at all. I'm just telling you that because we are Ones, we are not required to court or marry." His voice dropped and turned husky, "But I very much want that for us. Even should you chose not to enter into a relationship with me, there will never be another for me. You are the only one that I want, Bella. I want to wake up with you in my arms and kiss you in the sun's early golden glow. I want to spend the days laughing and living with you. I want to shoulder your burdens and share my concerns with you. I want to tease you, to laugh and cry with you. To kiss you, teasing butterfly kisses that are so light that they're barely there and kisses so deep and passionate that when one breathes out the other breathes in. I don't want to have to leave you at the end of the day, but make love to you and then go to sleep with you in my arms, your heart beating in time with mine. And someday, should Mahal bless us, I would love to have a pebble with my eyes and your hair or your eyes and my hair. But should that never happen, I would still be blessed beyond all measure just to call you mine."

He smiled down at her. "I was attracted to you from the beginning, but I am not a handsome dwarf. I never dreamed that you would care for me. But that doesn't mean that I didn't find you attractive. I can tell you how many times I had to recite lists of ores in my head, from hardest to softest or from most valuable to least or something like that to distract myself from thinking about you in inappropriate ways. How many times I had to listen to Gloin drone on or talk to Fili in an attempt to distract myself from wondering what it would be to have you in my arms, what you would taste like if I kissed you, if your lips were truly as soft as they looked. But it wasn't just that. I adore everything about you, from your laugh to your sharp wit to your swift temper and clever tongue. To me, Bella, you are perfect."

Bella pulled away from him but before he could protest, he found himself with a lap full of hobbit lass. Straddling his lap, she shoved her fingers into his hair and pulled him down for a passionate kiss. She nipped his bottom lip and when he groaned, she took full advantage and deepened the kiss. His sense inflamed, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, until their bodies were flush with each other, and kissed her back with every ounce of passion that he possessed. When they paused to breathe, he whispered, "Does this mean that you are ok with this?"

Her answer was to kiss him again, hard. One of his hands slid up and tangled in her hair while the other slid south and cupped her hip, anchoring her firmly to him. He deepened the kiss, feeling his blood heat. She matched his passion, her little whimpers and moans driving him wild. When they paused for breath, he peppered her throat with kisses, unable to stop and loving the way her skin tasted. When he nipped the hinge under her jaw, she moaned and tugged on his hair, hard. This caused heat to shoot straight to his core and he roughly reclaimed her lips.

Their passion was suddenly doused, literally, with a bucket of cold water. They broke apart sputtering and looked up to find a smirking Fili standing there holding an empty bucket. He said, "While I'm glad that you two seem to have worked things out, that is not appropriate behavior."

Setting Bella gently aside, Kili leapt to his feet and roared, "I'm gonna kill you."

He took off like a shot but Fili had already taken off. Bella blinked at the suddenly empty courtyard, water trickling down her face. Tucking a sodden curl absently behind her ear, she suddenly fell onto her back and started laughing uproariously. Only her dwarves, as she laughed, she listened to the running footsteps and distant taunts of the two princes.

Finally her laughter died and the unpleasantness of wet clothes made themselves known. Knowing that Fili and Kili would be at it for some time, she slowly climbed to her feet and retrieved the book that was still sitting on the bench, being careful not to drip on it. This was not the way she had pictured things going. Brushing her finger over her lips, a giddy giggle slipped out. No, not how she thought things would happen at all.

She sighed as she made her way back to her rooms, they still had a lot to talk about before they started courting or anything, but at least Kili didn't seem opposed to being her One. No, he had seemed quite, enthusiastic, about the whole thing. And she couldn't believe how shameless she had been. The blush in her cheeks would never fade. But when he had spoken, his voice deep and intense, every word thrilled through her. And when he had said that she was perfect, well there was nothing for it but to kiss him. But now she was going to have to hide from him for an entirely different reason. Shame over her wanton behavior and the desire to repeat it. Now that she knew what kissing him was like, she didn't know how she could keep her hands off of him.

She would either have to avoid him entirely or just never be alone with him. That's what she would do.

* * *

_Erebor_

Settling her cup back on the saucer, Bella couldn't stop the smile that danced at the corners of her mouth. She would have to edit the tale a little bit, some of it was quite private between her and Kili. However, she thought that his mother would appreciate the tale.

Smiling softly at Dis, Bella settled more comfortably in the chair and began, "Well, it all started on the first night of our stay in Rivendell. Elrond held a feast for the company and Kili thought that it was a good idea to try flirting with the elf maids..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is with the boys and dousing each other with buckets of water? Shaking my head, lol
> 
> (Also, check the comments for a little extra bit ;) )

**Author's Note:**

> I shall have the other two chapters plus another new one moved over by the end of next week, hopefully. Hope that you enjoyed it :)
> 
> Praying for peace, joy, and renewal.
> 
> We are strong together!


End file.
